Chinese-Filipino Dinner

Posted by Dexie

I invited my brother-in-law and his family for dinner Sunday night at our house. The choices were lasagna or chinese. My sister-in-law picked the latter. I made beef stir-fry with shitake mushrooms, bacon fried rice and to infuse my own nationality I decided to make pork adobo as well. Usually I'd pair the stir-fry with lumpias (filipino eggrolls) but the previous night's shenanigans rendered me lazy to make them. The pork adobo was a perfect substitute, I think. It wasn't rolls but hey, it was still good :-)

BEEF SHITAKE STIR-FRY
INGREDIENTS:
beef, sliced in strips
chopped onions
finely chopped garlic
broccoli
shitake mushrooms
green beans, sliced diagonally
soy sauce, eyeball it
1/3 cup of water
sprinkle of black pepper
oyster sauce
2 tsp of cornstarch mixed in water(eyeball it)

In a heated wok, sautee onions, then garlic. Once transluscent, add the beef. Add water, cover and let the meat cook. Then add the broccoli. Don't overcook it. Stir-frys are at their best when the vegetables are a little bit crunchy. Add the green beans, stir. Let it cook for a few minutes. Add the shitake mushrooms. Season with some soy sauce, oyster sauce, and black pepper. Once everything is cooked, pour the cornstarch mixture, gently stir. As soon as the sauce thickens, turn the stove off.

PORK ADOBO
INGREDIENTS:
sliced pork
soy sauce
vinegar
black pepper
water for simmering
crushed garlic
ginger (optional)

In a pot, heat oil, then brown the meat. Add water, about 3 cups. It really depends on how much meat you're cooking. The more meat the more water to use. Add your soy sauce and vinegar as well. I'm sorry I have no approximate measurements. I'm as what Rachael Ray calls herself an "eyeballer". Obviously you wouldn't put the whole bottle of soy sauce and vinegar, just go by feel and trust your instincts. Lastly, add the garlic and if you want, the ginger as well. Sprinkle black pepper. Cover the pan and simmer. Let the soy sauce and vinegar infuse it's flavour onto the meat. I prefer my sauce thick so I simmer it a little bit longer. Make sure to check a lot so you don't burn it. If it seems like the liquid is almost gone but the meat is not yet tender just add more water. Don't panic!

Add potatoes at the last minute. Once you've added the potatoes, stir only once, then cover and let it cook. This is my secret in making adobo. If you keep opening and stirring it, the potatoes will turn to mush. The potatoes must be fork tender not mashed.

BACON FRIED RICE
INGREDIENTS
cooked long grain rice
finely sliced bacon
finely chopped onions
finely chopped garlic
1 can of peas, drained
soy sauce
black pepper
1 scrambled egg

In a wok, heat oil, sautee onions, garlic and bacon. Once the bacon is done add the rice. Add soy sauce, and black pepper. Keep stirring. Then add the peas. Stir in the scrambled egg at the last minute.

The next time you have an Asian theme dinner, how about trying this delish spread? It was yummi!

TAGS: Asian, Bacon, Beef, Chinese, Dinner, Filipino, Fried Rice, Pork, Pork Adobo, Rice, Stirfry, Vegetables
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